1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention generally relates to railroad track switch covers to prevent accumulation of snow and ice which interferes with movement of the switching rails.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
A common and long-used method of switching trains from one set of tracks to another involves switching rails at a track switch. At the entry point of a track switch, switch rods lie beneath and are secured to the switching rails. The switching rails are connected to a track switch lever or actuator by links. When the track switch is operated, the links move laterally, causing lateral movement of the entry ends of the switching rails and thus cause the track switch to open or close. Switch rods maintain a uniform distance between the two switching rails at all times. Generally, three or more (depending on the switch length) switch rods are installed as part of the track switch.
Particularly in northern climates, movement of the switching rails is prevented by accumulation of ice and snow between the switching rails and the stationary rails of the track. During the winter, ice and snow freeze between the switching rails and the stationary rails, thus making the track switch inoperable.
A common method of preventing accumulation of ice and snow between the tracks involves trying to melt the snow with heating elements attached to the stationary rails near the switching rails. However, now such heating elements are exposed to the weather and freezing temperatures. Heat is allowed to escape; thus, operation of the system is inefficient and expensive. Furthermore, during extremely cold temperatures and windchill factors, the heat produced from low wattage elements may not be sufficient to prevent ice and snow from jamming the switching rails.
Consequently, a need exists for improvements in preventing ice and snow accumulation between switching rails and tracks which will result in greater reliability and dependability of operation at reduced levels of energy consumption.